Just watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for the first time. Wow. Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman are beyond amazing.

rage patton

01-14-2011, 12:19 AM

For me, Andrew Garfield stole The Social Network. He was pretty amazing in it. He was also great in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. But it is pretty weird he is the new Spiderman.

TallGuyCM

01-14-2011, 01:56 AM

Got my first taste of Cassavetes tonight with The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. I watched the 1976 cut, the full 135-minute version. I'm not sure what the heck I just watched, but it really wasn't my cup of tea. I'm reading reviews online that suggest that the shorter, 108-minute edited version that Cassavetes took 2 years to recut is far superior and more focused, and I certainly hope so. What I just watched was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in some time, and it left me feeling pretty stale.

AlecEiffel

01-14-2011, 03:17 AM

I have a question. Jessica Alba walked out of the screening of The Killer Inside Me because she was so horrified by how violent it is. But the most violent scene is the one that she....is.....in? Did she not read the script?

Well, a couple months ago she did say this:

Good actors, never use the script unless it’s amazing writing. All the good actors I’ve worked with, they all say whatever they want to say.

So, yeah, maybe she didn't read the script.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 03:36 AM

Unlikely.

It is unlikely, but it still occurred.

Am I the only one who sees Alec Eiffel's response timestamped six hours before guedita asked the question?

And now this very response is also somewhere in the wormhole.

MissingPerson

01-14-2011, 04:00 AM

Whatever about "disappearing into a scene", it's one thing to play pretend for a bit, quite another to actually watch somebody fuck you up good and proper.

Why the hell do you know what Ned & Stacey is in Ireland? It's barely remembered here.

It was shown at like 5am here, so I'm pretty sure only myself, Ned, and Stacey, have ever watched it. I don't mean to give a false impression that we have some kind of weird Ned and Stacey cargo cult over here or anything like.

It is kind of a shame that nobody will ever know that Debra Messing can actually be funny and likeable though.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 09:24 AM

I strongly disagree with all of the above. Not only do I love The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - it's maybe my second favorite Cassavetes film after A Woman Under the Influence, which means I regard it as highly as just about any other movie ever made - but I also recall favoring the longer cut. It feels wrong to say that, since the '78 version is the directors cut (the '76 cut was done by an editor because Cassavetes had to leave for another film he was scheduled to act in, which is how he stayed financially afloat while directing films that aggressively lost money). But I remember finding the opening of the initial cut a lot more striking. It definitely has a lot more performance material in the strip club, some of which is gratuitous. But overall, the film is a brilliantly personal look into Cassavetes' tribulations as an artist, filtered through well-worn crime genre tropes that are given new life. I need to sit down sometime soon and watch both cuts back to back

This is an interesting article about the contrast between the two:
http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/61/61chinesebookie.html

All that being said...it's decidedly not the film I would suggest to a Cassavetes novice. Try A Woman Under the Influence or Husbands next.

guedita

01-14-2011, 09:30 AM

I have a question. Jessica Alba walked out of the screening of The Killer Inside Me because she was so horrified by how violent it is. But the most violent scene is the one that she....is.....in? Did she not read the script?

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 09:33 AM

Maybe she's just fucking stupid?

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 09:39 AM

There's a great chance she's stupid, but this isn't necessarily supportive of that. Approaching material as an actor is different from approaching it as a spectator. She may be capable of disappearing into the scene while in character, but that doesn't mean that she's comfortable watching her own face get smashed.

GeezrRckr

01-14-2011, 09:46 AM

Affleck's outstanding performance in that made up for the plot holes.

PotVsKtl

01-14-2011, 09:48 AM

She may be capable of disappearing into the scene while in character.

Unlikely.

guedita

01-14-2011, 10:26 AM

Well, a couple months ago she did say this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessica Alba
Good actors, never use the script unless it’s amazing writing. All the good actors I’ve worked with, they all say whatever they want to say.
So, yeah, maybe she didn't read the script.

So, yeah, maybe she didn't read the script.

Hahahahahahahaha

wmgaretjax

01-14-2011, 10:40 AM

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is definitely not my favorite Cassavetes film... but I definitely prefer the shorter cut.

TallGuyCM

01-14-2011, 02:48 PM

More Jodorowsky for those of us in Los Angeles, this time at the Egyptian:

Saturday, January 15
7:30 PM SANTA SANGRE & FANDO AND LIS

Sunday, January 16
7:30 PM EL TOPO & THE HOLY MOUNTAIN

Quoted because it's this weekend. I already have my ticket for tomorrow night, really looking forward to it.

TallGuyCM

01-14-2011, 02:48 PM

All that being said...it's decidedly not the film I would suggest to a Cassavetes novice. Try A Woman Under the Influence or Husbands next.

Yeah, that's the impression I got, that I should have started elsewhere with his work. A Woman Under the Influence is definitely next.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 04:55 PM

Quoted because it's this weekend. I already have my ticket for tomorrow night, really looking forward to it.

Mine is bought already as well. Looking forward to it.

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 06:11 PM

that doesn't mean that she's comfortable watching her own face get smashed.

She should choose another career then. We all make sacrifices.

MissingPerson

01-14-2011, 06:13 PM

She nipped out of the screening, she didn't shit into the fucking projector or anything. Yeesh.

GeezrRckr

01-14-2011, 06:15 PM

that was the problem...not enough nipp.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 06:18 PM

You guys care too much about Jessica Alba's evaluation of her own work.

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 06:21 PM

She nipped out of the screening, she didn't shit into the fucking projector or anything. Yeesh.

That's exactly my point. She doesn't exhibit the bravery and cunning of great actors.

wmgaretjax

01-14-2011, 06:27 PM

there are plenty of great actors and actresses (and directors and musicians) that have little to no interest in interacting with past work once its completed. maybe Alba (having been in few decent films) is only first coming to terms with this. i don't exactly think Alba is a great actress (in fact, i'm not sure I've ever seen her in a film), but it's pretty silly to imply that an actress has to confront their own difficult performances after the fact in order to qualify as such.

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 06:28 PM

Looks like there's a new trashy gay Araki movie coming out that's apparently "Twin Peaks for the Coachella generation." I'm an Araki apologist and all, but this schtick seems a little worn out for 2011. I'll probably watch it once it hits Netflix Instant though. http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/kaboom/

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 06:29 PM

You guys are having a serious discussion about Jessica Alba.

wmgaretjax

01-14-2011, 06:29 PM

looks better than Araki's last film. (i wanted to cut my eyes out after that one)

SoulDischarge

01-14-2011, 06:31 PM

Was that the stoner one? Because that was pretty fucking bad.

wmgaretjax

01-14-2011, 06:34 PM

yeah. that one.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 06:52 PM

You guys are having a serious discussion about Jessica Alba.

No YOU are.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2011, 06:54 PM

I plan on seeing Kaboom!. It might suck, but since I pretended that Smiley Face never happened (to the point of not seeing it), I feel like I owe Araki one follow-up after Mysterious Skin.

wmgaretjax

01-14-2011, 11:11 PM

So I just saw Monsters without any preconceptions at all. Pretty brilliant film, especially done on 15k. The plot was wonderfully simple and the slow reveals were really fantastic. Some of the script and the some of the acting was rough... ultimately though, it was an incredible debut that was easily the most pleasant surprise of the year.

I'd love to see a making of... it seemed like it was a total guerilla shoot. tons of shooting at the golden hour at tons of different locations.

ivankay

01-15-2011, 02:04 PM

9 Famous Movie Villains Who Were Right All Along (http://www.cracked.com/article_18417_the-lighter-side-dark-side-5-villains-who-were-good.html)

And this weekend the Egyptian is doing a couple of Jodorowsky double features. (http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2011/Egyptian/Alejandro_Jodorowsky_ET2011.htm)

And a BIG one on the schedule at the Egyptian on Thursday: Visconti's The Leopard! (http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2011/Egyptian/specialevent_JAN_ET_2011.htm#THE%20LEOPARD) New print! Saw this in Italian Cinema. Awesome.

GeezrRckr

01-16-2011, 01:28 AM

Animal Kingdom is a solid film. the acting is very good, it has an interesting, dark plot (based on real events) and the ending is splendid. the cinematography was a bit all over the place, but when it's on, it's very good. and, it being an Aussie film has its charm as well.

check it out.

daxton

01-16-2011, 05:52 AM

^ I've heard great things about Animal Kingdom from friends. I'd forgotten all about it.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2011, 09:43 AM

I got sick yesterday and had to miss the fucking Jodorowsky program (Santa Sangre and Fando and Lis) at the Egyptian last night, derailing a dazzling (if perhaps overly-ambitious) triple-header of filmgoing. I'm anxious to hearing more from Chris, Matt, and anyone else who made it.

But the film during which my condition began to deteriorate - Daddy Longlegs - was at least thoroughly enjoyable, in the sense that extremely discomforting behavior can be enjoyed. It's about a divorced dad who is granted a single fortnight visitation with his two young sons per year, and his extreme struggles - to which he often appears oblivious - to be a strong, responsible paternal figure in even that limited timeframe. But he usually makes an excellent playmate, and indeed, he has never really jettisoned his own childlike paradigm, which is manifested in absurdist passages both delightful and terrifying. It's a unique approach to a character who has been depicted before - apparently based on the real-life father of the Safdie brothers who wrote and directed the movie - and as played by Ronald Bronstein (whose nervous energy and mannerisms often recall a more extroverted version of many Vincent Gallo characters), he's a vivid and complex being, capable of evoking fascination, delight, and derision in equal doses.

wmgaretjax

01-16-2011, 11:12 AM

I've heard nothing but good things about that. Would really like to check it out.

TallGuyCM

01-16-2011, 12:55 PM

The Jodorowsky double feature of Santa Sangre and Fando and Lis was great last night.

I really loved Santa Sangre. I find it difficult to fairly evaluate Jodorowsky's work, so I'm not going to go on about it too much, but safe to say that the bizarreness of The Holy Mountain is an adequate precursor for Sangre.

Fando and Lis was quite good, as well. Being Jodorowsky's debut film, I said to Matt on the way out that if I was an aspiring filmmaker that I would have found Fando inspiring, in the sense that it made obvious the fact that you can create something very surreal and even disturbing without a big budget.

clumsy342

01-16-2011, 01:06 PM

im so jealous, tallguy.

those are my top two jodorowsky films.

mountmccabe

01-16-2011, 02:48 PM

I watched Disney/Pixar's Up, in which two males travel to South America on vacation in search of some falls and have a tough time getting along.

I then watched Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together in which two males travel to South America on vacation in search of some falls and have a tough time getting along.

The former was cute and had more ballooning and talking dogs; the latter was sad and had more shots drenched in the late afternoon sun and Quilmes.

sbessiso

01-16-2011, 02:56 PM

wow, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is now one of my favorite movies ever. I've never seen another film even remotely close to something like this. Completely right up my alley. Zany, fast-faced, action-packed, witty as hell, unique special f/x, kickass soundtrack. And holy smokes, was that Michael Cera actually being a badass?

Bonus points for Culkin being the gay comic relief. Im ready to watch it again. its a damn dirty shame this bombed at the box office. it's destined for cult status

MissingPerson

01-16-2011, 03:00 PM

How well Michael Cera sold the fight scenes was quite startling, yes.

sbessiso

01-16-2011, 03:02 PM

Something about him and Jason fucking Schwartzman kung-fu fighting that just amuses me to no end.

rage patton

01-16-2011, 03:12 PM

wow, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is now one of my favorite movies ever. I've never seen another film even remotely close to something like this. Completely right up my alley. Zany, fast-faced, action-packed, witty as hell, unique special f/x, kickass soundtrack. And holy smokes, was that Michael Cera actually being a badass?

Bonus points for Culkin being the gay comic relief. Im ready to watch it again. its a damn dirty shame this bombed at the box office. it's destined for cult status

I really don't understand how this movie bombed either. Everything about it is fantastic. It will definately be considered a cult classic in years to come.

sbessiso

01-16-2011, 03:19 PM

And it has George Michael fighting Ann!!! inspired casting all around

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-16-2011, 03:21 PM

I will repeat my love for Scott Pilgrim as well. I rewatched it last week and it was just as good the second time.

I saw Blue Valentine on Friday night and really liked it. It wasn't nearly as heart-wrenching as its been advertised, but it sure is nicely done.

Boourns

01-16-2011, 03:27 PM

Fuck yes to Scott Pilgrim. The blu-ray has lots of goodies like an alternate ending.

daxton

01-16-2011, 03:38 PM

I really liked it too. Maybe I should get me one of those Blu-ray players.

whynotsmile99

01-16-2011, 07:33 PM

Nic Cage shit train keeps on chuggin

this is impressive...really

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/drive-angry-3d/trailer

CuervoPH

01-16-2011, 07:58 PM

I finally saw the new True Grit today, and I echo anything positive that's been said about it on this thread. I almost wished I could sit in the theater and watch it again when it was over.

I mention this because I had seen the trailer for Drive Angry that Daxton posted above, and for a moment thought it was a joke. Apparently it's not. Before True Grit, they showed a trailer for Fast Five. I had the exact same reaction.

I honestly didn't think I could get any more angry or disgusted by a trailer than I did for those two. Then they showed the trailer for the next Transformers. I'd welcome a chance to watch Drive Angry and Fast Five back-to-back before I'd sit through that shit.

AlecEiffel

01-16-2011, 08:09 PM

I feel like I'm a worse person than I was three hours ago after sitting through the Golden Globes.

wmgaretjax

01-16-2011, 08:22 PM

I honestly didn't think I could get any more angry or disgusted by a trailer than I did for those two. Then they showed the trailer for the next Transformers. I'd welcome a chance to watch Drive Angry and Fast Five back-to-back before I'd sit through that shit.

I groaned out loud 3 times in that trailer (directors name, my realization of what it was, and when the title finally came on screen)... mostly because the initial premise was kind of interesting.

CuervoPH

01-16-2011, 08:35 PM

I thought there was another Apollo mission movie in the works (though I can't find anything on it now), so I held out a brief hope that we were being shown that trailer instead.

AlecEiffel

01-16-2011, 08:46 PM

I thought there was another Apollo mission movie in the works (though I can't find anything on it now), so I held out a brief hope that we were being shown that trailer instead.

http://www.apollo18movie.net/

algunz

01-16-2011, 08:52 PM

I feel like I'm a worse person than I was three hours ago after sitting through the Golden Globes.

Seriously, these award shows have gotten sooooo bad. I barely got through 3 awards and had to move on. We are now watching The Muppets Take Manhattan. SOOOO much better. :thu

sbessiso

01-16-2011, 09:27 PM

just watched Gervais' monologue. That was delicious. we need more of him

Alligator Bogaloo

01-16-2011, 09:59 PM

I went and saw Mike Leigh's new movie Another Year last night. I will now be depressed for the rest of the year.

TallGuyCM

01-16-2011, 11:06 PM

I groaned out loud 3 times in that trailer

See, I was laughing and all smiles throughout the whole thing. That looks so bad, even for Nic Cage standards.

TallGuyCM

01-16-2011, 11:31 PM

And the Golden Globes were more or less a microcosm of the subpar year in cinema that 2010 indeed was.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed The Social Network. Best screenplay? Absolutely. Best original score? Deservedly so. Best director? Not so much. And best picture? Give me a break.

schoolofruckus

01-17-2011, 05:57 AM

My feelings toward The Social Network have improved greatly in the hours since I read this article (http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_ending_of_the_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_chan ged_for_david_finchers_fi/):

”....on ‘Social Network,’ I didn’t really agree with the critics’ praise. It interested me that ‘Social Network’ was about friendships that dissolved through this thing that promised friendships, but I didn’t think we were ripping the lid off anything. The movie is true to a time and a kind of person, but I was never trying to turn a mirror on a generation."

malcolmjamalawesome

01-17-2011, 08:26 AM

I saw Winter's Bone last night. It's very good.

wmgaretjax

01-17-2011, 08:28 AM

See, I was laughing and all smiles throughout the whole thing. That looks so bad, even for Nic Cage standards.

oh, i was talking about the transformers trailer.

chairmenmeow47

01-17-2011, 08:38 AM

finally saw black swan last night. i'm glad i heard everyone's reviews first. i didn't take it too seriously & enjoyed it. there had to be some stand-ins for the dancing though.

i also saw the road and liked that too. glad to see a glimpse of omar in something other than an HBO tv show. i was extremely mad at charlize theron's character though. i guess i don't know how i'd handle such a situation, but what the fuck?!

lastly, we started the town but i fell asleep. MP's post (
Because ) about blue & orange was on my mind though. i was pissing everyone off this weekend pointing it out on the TV during transformers too lol.

wmgaretjax

01-17-2011, 08:41 AM

finally saw black swan last night. i'm glad i heard everyone's reviews first. i didn't take it too seriously & enjoyed it. there had to be some stand-ins for the dancing though.

there were only stand-ins for the handful of spin cycles towards the beginning. everything else she did.

M Sparks

01-17-2011, 08:46 AM

Nic Cage shit train keeps on chuggin

this is impressive...really

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/drive-angry-3d/trailer

I can't decide how I feel about that. Sometimes I am horrified, sometimes I am intrigued.

At the very least, William Fichtner looks like fun in it.

M Sparks

01-17-2011, 08:46 AM

Oh great, another 2016 post

schoolofruckus

01-17-2011, 09:33 AM

there were only stand-ins for the handful of spin cycles towards the beginning. everything else she did.

I think she meant for Aronofsky and his screenwriters.

getbetter

01-18-2011, 01:19 AM

Just watched A Serbian Film.I would give it a 8.7/10 .The movie is very well pace ,extremely graphic, and a great storyline.The movie is very hash and fuck up so be prepared.

malcolmjamalawesome

01-18-2011, 06:04 AM

Just watched A Serbian Film.I would give it a 8.7/10 .The movie is very well pace ,extremely graphic, and a great storyline.The movie is very hash and fuck up so be prepared.

Eight. Point. Seven.

yeahfontaine

01-18-2011, 06:17 AM

Ooooh Handbanana, you just posted from 1969!!!

I demand you go wander the streets with Dennis Hopper and make a film in tribute to this thread.

malcolmjamalawesome

01-18-2011, 06:55 AM

I feel like HandBanana is really getting the brunt of all of the time travel posting.

Is he .... my constant?

malcolmjamalawesome

01-18-2011, 06:55 AM

I feel like HandBanana is really getting the brunt of all of the time travel posting.

Is he .... my constant?

schoolofruckus

01-18-2011, 09:18 AM

New Bela Tarr about to drop! (http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/bela_tarrs_the_turin_horse_margin_call_unknown_mor e_join_berlin_film_fest_l/)

chairmenmeow47

01-18-2011, 09:23 AM

there were only stand-ins for the handful of spin cycles towards the beginning. everything else she did.

i think she did great! i do think though that what you say make sense. at the beginning was when i said to myself "there was no way that's her" at a lot of the toe shots. i could be wrong, but later on in the movie the form changed. still better than anything i could have done. i never even made it en pointe myself.

also, watched crimson tide last night. awesome. the dog was adorable. i love gene hackman. was that filmed in a submarine?

mountmccabe

01-18-2011, 09:47 AM

Can we talk about them using a song by Eels for that trailer for the Nic Cage move? Wtf.

davrone

01-18-2011, 10:07 AM

It took over two years, but I finally got around to watching Once. Not bad at all.

mountmccabe

01-18-2011, 12:01 PM

I watched Divine Intervention (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274428/). It is a surreal set of quasi vignettes that are mostly related. It takes place in Palestine, seemingly always at checkpoints. There is a man, he falls ill. His son comes to visit him. His son meets a woman at a checkpoint and they aggressively hold hands in the car. Sometimes they cross the checkpoint. Sometimes troops at a firing range dance like they're in the Backstreet Boys. There's very little dialog and only sometimes is there blaring dance pop. I have seen very little like it so I enjoyed it a lot.

Also it turns out that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button isn't so curious.

I finally saw Toxic Avenger and it was the hardest I've laughed at a movie in a long time. Netflix instant has tons of Troma movies. I just watched Surf Nazis Must Die. It wasn't as good as the title suggests but it had it's moments.

ErikFlyingV

01-18-2011, 03:41 PM

I finally saw Toxic Avenger and it was the hardest I've laughed at a movie in a long time. Netflix instant has tons of Troma movies. I just watched Surf Nazis Must Die. It wasn't as good as the title suggests but it had it's moments.

Watch Citizen Toxie, the other sequels are terrible.

And not terrible as in it's from Troma, but terrible as in Oh my god, I am going to kill myself.

I am really sick of HandBanana's same post being at the bottom of the page every time.

TallGuyCM

01-18-2011, 04:42 PM

You should be thankful your life is so good that this is what preoccupies your mind.

daxton

01-18-2011, 04:45 PM

You should be thankful your life is so good that this is what preoccupies your mind.

Yeah, this, and how much time should I stay in CA after Coachella to have more fun.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-18-2011, 09:08 PM

I finally saw Toxic Avenger and it was the hardest I've laughed at a movie in a long time. Netflix instant has tons of Troma movies. I just watched Surf Nazis Must Die. It wasn't as good as the title suggests but it had it's moments.

What?!? You were using Toxic Avenger as an example in an argument recently and you hadn't even seen it?

Regardless, YES, that movie is fucking amazing from beginning to end. I laugh until my sides hurt every time i watch. Unfortunately no other Troma movie has ever come close to it, but there are some entertainign ones. Besides surf nazis, check out Sgt. Kabuki Man, NYPD, and Class of Nuke-em High. I also love Blood-Sucking Freaks, but I think that may have been an older movie that they got the license for later. I could be wrong.

wmgaretjax

01-20-2011, 06:50 PM

http://eurekavideo.co.uk/nick/Scott_Walker_on_films_2007.jpg

paulb

01-20-2011, 06:59 PM

Just watched Toxic Avenger last night....excellent stuff....but the real highlight was watching The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for the 1st time...holy shit, excellent film!!! Downloading The Girl Who Played With Fire now...

KungFuJoe

01-20-2011, 10:59 PM

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a lot of fun. Tsui Hark finally returns to form with this film. Though it suffers from some shoddy special effects how can you argue with a film that features a fight scene with talking reindeer? It's a really fun film with some action sequences that recall the heydays of Hong Kong cinema of films the like of Dreadnaught.

B1LN656YUuU

PotVsKtl

01-20-2011, 11:11 PM

how can you argue with a film that features a fight scene with talking reindeer?

I feel like this is a trick.

buddy

01-21-2011, 03:37 AM

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f373/reyflores6p2/point_blank_ver2.jpg
i recently rewatched this. always enjoy lee marvin. the commentary with steven soderbergh interviewing the director john boorman about the film is highly recommended, and adds much insight to the movie.

Watched Dogtooth tonight. Word of warning to those on kg that are getting it from there: the HD file has English subtitles, but is dubbed in Russian as well along with the characters speaking Greek. So you're reading English, but hearing both Greek and Russian at the same time.

After being massively distracting at first, it actually kind of worked with the often times off-putting mood that the movie caused. It was almost exactly like watching a movie while listening to "The Murder Mystery" by the Velvet Underground, but in two languages that you can't understand.

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 12:29 AM

I have freed the Movie Corner from the scourge of my 42 year old post about Nicolas Cage

bmack86

01-23-2011, 01:38 AM

I watched three movies of varying goodness today:

Knightriders is a George Romero drama about a ren faire that replaces the horses with motorcycles and somehow the guys believe that they're doing something spiritual and unique, so they can't play the next fairground or be big like Evil Knievel. It's overwrought and bad as hell, but there are a few great moments that made watching it bearable, like when an owl goes nuts watching a moto-duel or when a guy drives thru a bunch of signs and launches into a quarry.

Exit Through the Gift Shop was decent. I didn't expect Thierry to take such a turn, and I definitely remember in retrospect seeing the art for his big show all over LA. I liked the start and then I thought it took an interesting and pretty entertaining turn. Enjoyed this one.

Magic is a 1978 psychological slasher flick featuring Anthony Hopkins as a demented ventriloquist hiding from his agent and his demons. I was pretty goddamn pleasantly surprised by this one: it's a ridiculous idea for a plot that they made pretty damn creepy and that Hopkins played very effectively. They did a decent job of making it more than a B-horror flick and it's a great early shot of Hopkins portraying mental illness deftly and with really good intricacy.

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 02:05 AM

Knightriders is a tremendous flick if viewed thru the proper lens and graded on the "no budget" curve. One of my favorites.

bmack86

01-23-2011, 11:25 AM

See, I think George Romero is decent with campy/fun dialogue and really good situations usually, but there was so little explained in Knightriders, it seemed too serious for its own good and the budget was good enough and the obvious skill of the people working on the movie shone through enough that it couldn't be laughed at in a no-budget sorta way for me. It was talented filmmakers creating one of the weirdest, most incomprehensible things I've ever seen.

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 11:46 AM

I think if you look at Knightriders as being really about George and his crew being the troupe it makes a lot more sense.

He was telling a story about his own life trying to carve out a little space to create apart from the rest of the world and all the bullshit that goes with it.

Sorta metaphorical.

(Im on a work deadline hangover and cant express myself too good right now. Lol)

yeahfontaine

01-23-2011, 11:57 AM

Magic is a 1978 psychological slasher flick featuring Anthony Hopkins as a demented ventriloquist hiding from his agent and his demons. I was pretty goddamn pleasantly surprised by this one: it's a ridiculous idea for a plot that they made pretty damn creepy and that Hopkins played very effectively. They did a decent job of making it more than a B-horror flick and it's a great early shot of Hopkins portraying mental illness deftly and with really good intricacy.

I fucking love Magic. So disturbing. Spoiler of sorts ahead but I have to mention this...

The part when the dummy peers underneath the door at Hopkins has haunted my dreams since I was a kid. Now that's good cinema that can freak you out for decades.

I like to watch it along with the Twilight Zone episode "The Dummy," so I can really make sure not to sleep well for a few days because I'm imagining a ventriloquist dummy creeping across the floor toward my bed.

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 12:14 PM

Magic has one of the best, creepiest trailers I have ever seen.
When I was a wee lad, this would come on tv and freak me the fuck out.
Happened to a lot of other kids around the same time too.
Alot of parents complained and had it pulled.

Lx7smh7YHKg

liquidsnake28

01-23-2011, 04:13 PM

Has anyone seen Romero's take on vampires called Martin from 77? I'm really curious how he treat vampires in comparison to all the zombies.

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 04:19 PM

Martin is really good.
Very bloody, bleak and practical.
It was for the time a very original take on the genre that has had elements borrowed since then.
Its one of those rare flicks where the low budget and limitations of the actors gives things a quasi-documentary feel. Makes it more real.

bmack86

01-23-2011, 04:51 PM

Martin's one of the next movies we have coming on netflix. I'm super excited to watch it.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-23-2011, 05:20 PM

Watched Spanking The Monkey this afternoon. What a fucking bleak "comedy," yeesh. I liked it quite a bit, though.

whynotsmile99

01-23-2011, 09:23 PM

Wow,if you guys want to see something that will floor you:

OtyY0CXdiNo

One of the saddest, most incredibly moving films I've ever seen.. Streaming on Netflix. Stayed with me all weekend. don't forget the tissues

paulb

01-23-2011, 11:01 PM

an Oscilloscope picture right? i still need to see it.....

HandBanana

01-23-2011, 11:12 PM

Watchin SubUrbia and drinkin bourbon.
It's a flawed flick for sure, but it's Bogosian.
And I love Bogosian.

Gribbz

01-23-2011, 11:16 PM

About to watch Rumble Fish for the first time. Hopefully Tom Waits has more than just a cameo.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-23-2011, 11:41 PM

The Informant! turned out to be a lot better than I thought it was going to be. What a great fucking cast that movie has!

ErikFlyingV

01-24-2011, 02:41 AM

YAY! A new Blue Velvet blu ray is in the works, with deleted scenes!

Dont you fucking look at me!

chairmenmeow47

01-24-2011, 03:25 PM

casino jack was definitely entertaining. i find it hilarious though that anytime someone is playing the piano in a movie, it's almost always chopin.

BKsaysAction!

01-24-2011, 11:55 PM

Wow,if you guys want to see something that will floor you:

OtyY0CXdiNo

One of the saddest, most incredibly moving films I've ever seen.. Streaming on Netflix. Stayed with me all weekend. don't forget the tissues

I completely agree with whynotsmile. I saw it back in 09 and christ that movie was sad. I'm not talking about the beginning of UP type sad this film hits you twice and hard.

Down Rodeo

01-25-2011, 10:35 AM

I watched Alain Resnais' latest, Wild Grass, the other night. It's a very strange film, sometimes uneven, but overall worth a shot if you appreciate unconventional cinema. It's at least refreshing to see that, even at 88, Resnais is still willing to experiment.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 10:35 AM

ryan gosling got fucking snubbed.

ErikFlyingV

01-25-2011, 10:37 AM

I had preordered Enter the Void and Santa Sangre on blu ray from Amazon, and now it seems both are delayed :(

Santa Sangre, because Severin can't get their act together, is delayed for probably a month or so. While Void hopefully just a week or two.

Dogtooth got an Oscar nomination for best foreign film! ...As well as Biutiful and a couple others.

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 11:17 AM

I was pretty shocked by that... especially given how banal the rest of the nominations are.

whynotsmile99

01-25-2011, 11:27 AM

hailee steinfeld nominated for supporting actress is stupid. She had the lead role, no question.

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 11:31 AM

i think a good argument could be made that there wasn't really a lead role in that film. also, chances are the studio wanted her for supporting actress because she might have a shot there.

TallGuyCM

01-25-2011, 11:33 AM

As well as Biutiful and a couple others.

And even more impressive than Biutiful being nominated is Bardem being one of the five Best Actor nominees.

daxton

01-25-2011, 11:36 AM

Hm. Hadn't heard about that yet.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 12:41 PM

Why are we talking about the Oscars in a movie thread when they have so little to do with movies?

bobert

01-25-2011, 12:48 PM

Why are we talking about the Oscars in a movie thread when they have so little to do with movies?

Come on, Gabe. Ball-washing is the glue that holds the film industry together.

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:04 PM

It's not like I'm actually going to watch the Oscars. Just thought it might be a point of interest.

I want to see Tiny Furniture!

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:06 PM

I had preordered Enter the Void

hated it.

gaspar noe is fucking overrated.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:07 PM

and seriously. ryan gosling not being nominated = the oscars are bullshit (big surprise there)

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:10 PM

hated it.

gaspar noe is fucking overrated.

Gasp

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:14 PM

omg she got raped.

GREAT MOVIE.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:15 PM

the only thing irreversible is the amount of my life that has been wasted watching and talking about this pos film.

edbangme

01-25-2011, 01:18 PM

i think a good argument could be made that there wasn't really a lead role in that film. also, chances are the studio wanted her for supporting actress because she might have a shot there.

kind of like Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:20 PM

if deakins doesn't win best cine i'll stab a bitch.

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:23 PM

omg she got raped.

GREAT MOVIE.

the only thing irreversible is the amount of my life that has been wasted watching and talking about this pos film.

What? I thought the topic was Enter the Void.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:24 PM

yeah, sorry i kinda got distracted on how gaspar noe sucks at his job... but yeah, i also hated enter the void.

here's a tip for gaspar noe: buy a fucking tripod.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:26 PM

gaspar: i know, i'll just steadycam the whole movie.
me: uhhhh didnt alfred hitchcock try that like 30 years ago and it didn't work?
gaspar: yeah but
me: dude you are no fucking hitchcock. buy a tripod.

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 01:31 PM

I may be feeding the troll here (in a different thread you just said you'd rather listen to Skrillex than Bright Eyes) but how would steady shots have made Enter The Void a better film?

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:34 PM

I may be feeding the troll here (in a different thread you just said you'd rather listen to Skrillex than Bright Eyes) but how would steady shots have made Enter The Void a better film?

the camera work in that movie was just terrible all around. in pretty much any case, a tripod is fucking preferable to handheld or steadycam. i mean, look at pretty much any great film. How many handheld shots are in Seven Samurai or any Kubrick movie ever? Sure, there might be the occasional tense scene that calls for it, but movies that are shot entirely on handheld or steadycam rigs tend to be movies like The Blair Witch Project or Training Day. Basically, handheld cameras are distracting, and it eliminates any kind of photographic composition that might have been in the shot otherwise.

If that's your idea of a bad ass movie, that's cool. To each his own.

(And yes, I would rather watch Skrillex than Bright Eyes. You're basically talking about the worst of DJing vs. the worse of emo, and in that contest, yes, I will take the worst DJ.)

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:37 PM

A NSFW funny short I saw a few years back.

7dBlyys1x60

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 01:38 PM

Yes, Seven Samurai. That's very relevant. Way to use the most cliche filmschool example that has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion.

Also, it's funny that you mention Goodfellas when by far the most famous shot in that movie is done with steadycam.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:41 PM

Yes, Seven Samurai. That's very relevant. Way to use the most cliche filmschool example that has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion.

Also, it's funny that you mention Goodfellas when by far the most famous shot in that movie is done with steadycam.

yeah. you're kind of right on both of those counts. I edited Goodfellas out because I thought of that, but dude, come on. You can't compare what is arguably the greatest single shot in the last 30 years of cinema with fucking Enter the Void. Apples and Oranges. Plus, outside of that shot, how much steadycam work is there? Some, but not that much. And handheld? Please. Show me a scene in any movie ever where Scorsese shoots straight up handheld.

And sure, Seven Samurai is a cliche film school example, but it is that for a reason. It's the most beautifully shot film ever, and I could go off on like 30 pages as to why that is.

My larger point remains though. In basically any situation, if you're concerned about cinematography, framing, or any of the basic tenets of camerawork, your best bet is going to be a tripod. Clearly, Gaspar Noe was not concerned with these things when making Enter the Void. That's a creative choice that he made, and that's fine. But for me, it's a choice that is almost always going to result in me hating the movie.

BKsaysAction!

01-25-2011, 01:45 PM

Also Enter the Void is supposed to be First person. How the fuck can you achieve that on a tripod or a track?

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:47 PM

Also Enter the Void is supposed to be First person. How the fuck can you achieve that on a tripod or a track?

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was talking about when I said that Alfred Hitchcock tried it and it didn't work.

Go watch Rope from 1948.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040746/

He actually went much further than Gaspar Noe and tried to present the film as if it were one continuous shot.

It's arguably Hitchcock's worst film.

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:49 PM

"point of view"

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:49 PM

agree to disagree.

Mr.Nipples

01-25-2011, 01:49 PM

Enter The Void was shot just fine you gallant dipshit

PotVsKtl

01-25-2011, 01:50 PM

Rope has nothing to do with being first-person. You're confused.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 01:51 PM

why do we always have to resort to name calling? i mean, its whatever. in my opinion, it was not well shot. if you can't state some reason that you think otherwise, and you just want to call me a dipshit, that's cool. we can just move on i guess.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 01:52 PM

Come on, Gabe. Ball-washing is the glue that holds the film industry together.

I know. It's just tradition at this point for me to chase off the Oscar talk on nomination day.

My own personal reactions are: angry that Gosling and Blue Valentine were snubbed (I was really hoping the latter would take the token "indie with no shot" slot for Best Picture, although I liked Winter's Bone plenty); elation over Michelle Williams, The Illusionist and Dogtooth being honored; more pleased than I probably should be that Chris Nolan didn't get a director nomination, which means that Inception isn't one of the "real" BP candidates.

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 01:53 PM

It's arguably Hitchcock's worst film.

No, that's not even close to being arguable. He made at least 30 films worse than Rope.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 01:54 PM

the camera work in that movie was just terrible all around. in pretty much any case, a tripod is fucking preferable to handheld or steadycam. i mean, look at pretty much any great film. How many handheld shots are in Seven Samurai or any Kubrick movie ever? Sure, there might be the occasional tense scene that calls for it, but movies that are shot entirely on handheld or steadycam rigs tend to be movies like The Blair Witch Project or Training Day. Basically, handheld cameras are distracting, and it eliminates any kind of photographic composition that might have been in the shot otherwise.

If that's your idea of a bad ass movie, that's cool. To each his own.

(And yes, I would rather watch Skrillex than Bright Eyes. You're basically talking about the worst of DJing vs. the worse of emo, and in that contest, yes, I will take the worst DJ.)

I have John Cassavetes on the line. He says to tell you that you're right on about Gosling, but go fuck yourself overall.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 01:56 PM

After reading the Tell Us About the Lineup thread, I thought "Damn, DANCE MAGIC served kitt kat". But after all this, I'm pretty sure DANCE MAGIC is kitt kat.

daxton

01-25-2011, 01:57 PM

:rotfl

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 02:02 PM

Chris Nolan didn't get a director nomination, which means that Inception isn't one of the "real" BP candidates.

I didn't realize that. Fuck yeah!

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 02:06 PM

I have John Cassavetes on the line. He says to tell you that you're right on about Gosling, but go fuck yourself overall.

if cassavettes told me to go fuck my self, i'd just be honored that he knew who the fuck i am.

After reading the Tell Us About the Lineup thread, I thought "Damn, DANCE MAGIC served kitt kat". But after all this, I'm pretty sure DANCE MAGIC is kitt kat.

haha come on man. it's just the opinion of one man. i'm a big fan of locked off shots and framing and blocking and nerdy stuff like that.

daxton

01-25-2011, 02:08 PM

Henry Fool was the first Hal Hartley I saw so it holds a place in my heart, although in retrospect it probably isn't one of his best (it kind of falls apart a little in the second half). That said, yes it is worth watching. Then you should seek out Simple Men and Trust, the latter of which isn't on DVD but is on Netflix Instant and possibly YouTube.

I watched Trust recently. It felt like something was off in the film. Then I realized it wasn't new, but made in the 80s, which made a lot more sense. I don't know why I expected it to be newer.

Also, finished Waiting for Guffman yesterday. May be my favorite Parker Posey performance. I want to rape her so bad.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 02:14 PM

if cassavettes told me to go fuck my self, i'd just be honored that he knew who the fuck i am.

haha come on man. it's just the opinion of one man. i'm a big fan of locked off shots and framing and blocking and nerdy stuff like that.

That's fine if that's your preference. But to write off all other methods of shooting a scene - especially in a conversation that originated with the premiere game-changing film of the last several years - is simply ludicrous.

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 02:16 PM

haha come on man. it's just the opinion of one man. i'm a big fan of locked off shots and framing and blocking and nerdy stuff like that.

so you are unable to appreciate anything beyond what you've already been acclimated to. that's cool. (disclaimer: i do not have Noe's dick in my mouth and did not like Enter the Void as much as many here, but it was a technical masterpiece)

(edit: gabe beat me)

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 02:31 PM

If he were alive and saw it when it first came out, he probably would've hated Seven Samurai.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 02:33 PM

Yeah, except that I decidedly DO have Noe's dick in my mouth (and you did too, prior to entering the void).

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 02:41 PM

i need to go see that mike leigh film.

oh, i saw the illusionist with my 2 yr old. she loved it for the first 70 minutes, but fatigue set in towards the end. i liked it a lot... the whole film I kept thinking, this is a Tati film... then the cameo... then i saw the writing credit at the end. that made a lot of sense.

bobert

01-25-2011, 03:02 PM

How many handheld shots are in Seven Samurai or any Kubrick movie ever? Sure, there might be the occasional tense scene that calls for it, but movies that are shot entirely on handheld or steadycam rigs tend to be movies like The Blair Witch Project or Training Day.

Also, it's funny that you mention Goodfellas when by far the most famous shot in that movie is done with steadycam.

It's also funny that you mention Kubrick, since his steadicam shots in The Shining were some of the first (and most iconic) footage ever captured with that rig. There was also extensive use of handheld and steadicam in Full Metal Jacket.

It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish with the footage. If you're trying to recreate the sensation of human sight (as Noe was in Enter the Void), then it is unquestionably the most effective technique to do so.

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 03:21 PM

exactly. David Mamet complained in his book about the (particularly) american tendency to use steadicam as a lazy way to simply follow actors around... While I think this is true (and maybe something Dance Magic is trying to get at). There are undoubtedly (and I think Mamet would agree) a few directors that have clearly transcended this. In my opinion Noe is one of those. (along with Van Sant)

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 03:25 PM

It's also funny that you mention Kubrick, since his steadicam shots in The Shining were some of the first (and most iconic) footage ever captured with that rig. There was also extensive use of handheld and steadicam in Full Metal Jacket.

Did you read what I said about Kubrick. handheld not steadycam. but whatever. at this point, i feel like you guys are just trying to argue semantics, and just dismissing the point that i'm clearly trying to make here.

exactly. David Mamet complained in his book about the (particularly) american tendency to use steadicam as a lazy way to simply follow actors around... While I think this is true (and maybe something Dance Magic is trying to get at). There are undoubtedly (and I think Mamet would agree) a few directors that have clearly transcended this. In my opinion Noe is one of those. (along with Van Sant)

This. And maybe "lazy" isn't the best word, and I don't think that it's always horrible, I just think that Gaspar Noe is one of the worst offenders, and I was really talking more specifically about handheld than steadycam, for the most part.. although, yes, steadycam shares many of the characteristics of handheld that I would consider negative.

While everyone is hating on me, I feel like I should point out that I have very similar feelings about Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky. I thought Requiem for a Dream was a fucking trainwreck.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 03:45 PM

pi was fucking legit though.

bobert

01-25-2011, 04:20 PM

at this point, i feel like you guys are just trying to argue semantics, and just dismissing the point that i'm clearly trying to make here.

You don't like handheld camera work. Got it.

schoolofruckus

01-25-2011, 04:26 PM

Did you read what I said about Kubrick. handheld not steadycam. but whatever. at this point, i feel like you guys are just trying to argue semantics, and just dismissing the point that i'm clearly trying to make here.

This. And maybe "lazy" isn't the best word, and I don't think that it's always horrible, I just think that Gaspar Noe is one of the worst offenders, and I was really talking more specifically about handheld than steadycam, for the most part.. although, yes, steadycam shares many of the characteristics of handheld that I would consider negative.

While everyone is hating on me, I feel like I should point out that I have very similar feelings about Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky. I thought Requiem for a Dream was a fucking trainwreck.

I think the hang-up is that - like the one I likened you to (and still think you are, for the record) - you use a lot of strong language without explaining why you feel that way. For example, saying "Requiem for a Dream was a fucking trainwreck" is really not saying anything at all, particularly since - whether you love or hate it - it's not a disastrous misfire of any kind. It's exactly what it intends to be. If you find it shallow and pedantic, or boring, or aesthetically grating, that's all fine; but acting like it's a catastrophe just doesn't really fit.

TallGuyCM

01-25-2011, 04:30 PM

The thing with Dance Magic is, I've realized, is that he loves to throw punches, but then gets all surprised and defensive when someone punches him back.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 04:37 PM

The thing with Dance Magic is, I've realized, is that he loves to throw punches, but then gets all surprised and defensive when someone punches him back.

see, I don't feel like I'm throwing punches, really. I'm just stating my opinion. I tend to not just straight up call other people retarded. at least not at first. I feel like, if I say something is bad (be it Gaspar Noe, or whatever) I'm not saying that you are bad because you like it... and I think people tend to interpret it that way. I'm really saying, "hey i think this is bad. we should discuss it." but whatever, maybe i'm just an asshole. fuck you guys.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 04:41 PM

For example, saying "Requiem for a Dream was a fucking trainwreck" is really not saying anything at all, particularly since - whether you love or hate it - it's not a disastrous misfire of any kind. It's exactly what it intends to be. If you find it shallow and pedantic, or boring, or aesthetically grating, that's all fine; but acting like it's a catastrophe just doesn't really fit.

that is a totally solid point. i agree that i might tend to dramaticize my point somewhat. I just don't see where stating my case strongly somehow results in people calling me an asshole. if you think i'm an asshole, that's fine, its just gotten to the point where calling someone an asshole (or whatever else) is just spam that isnt really adding anything to the discussion.

the reason I didn't care for Requiem was mostly because of the style of editing. it was way over the top and it was cut like a fucking MTV music video. I just though the editing was cheap and really manipulative.

No, that's not even close to being arguable. He made at least 30 films worse than Rope.

That's probably true, too. Again, I was maybe being too dramatic. I guess I should've said that Rope is the worst Hitchcock film that I've seen. I haven't seen all of them, but I've seen a lot, and Rope is def the worst.

TallGuyCM

01-25-2011, 04:52 PM

If you're trying to maintain a decently respectable conversation, which you seem like you're trying to do in your last few posts, you need to avoid elementary jabs like this:

omg she got raped.

GREAT MOVIE.

It takes your credibility down a notch, for sure.

ErikFlyingV

01-25-2011, 04:53 PM

The main attraction of Enter the Void, to me, was the technical aspect of it all. Sure, some shots were kind of shaky, but it was one of the most visceral films I have seen a long time.

What kept it from being truly great, imo, is that in the end it felt like nothing more than polished exploitation. I enjoy these kinds of films from time to time, but I didn't feel that it had anything to say in the end. It didn't really affect me emotionally, it was more like getting punched in the gut.

I can understand not liking the film for many reasons, but to argue it's technical merit seems a little misguided. In terms of pure, unabashed creativity, this was quite refreshing.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 05:00 PM

If you're trying to maintain a decently respectable conversation, which you seem like you're trying to do in your last few posts, you need to avoid elementary jabs like this:

It takes your credibility down a notch, for sure.

Juvenile? Maybe. But it isn't a personal attack on anyone, and I kinda feel like that's where the line is drawn. I guess I could've said that that scene, and basically the whole movie, was just shocking for the sake of being shocking, and that it wasn't necessarily, in my opinion, the best filmmaking. But whatever, that's just my opinion. I don't like the guy's movies. That's all I'm saying. I'm not saying that I think anyone that does like his movies is an asshole, or somehow their opinion is any less valid than mine.

daxton

01-25-2011, 05:01 PM

The main attraction of Enter the Void, to me, was the technical aspect of it all. Sure, some shots were kind of shaky, but it was one of the most visceral films I have seen a long time.

What kept it from being truly great, imo, is that in the end it felt like nothing more than polished exploitation. I enjoy these kinds of films from time to time, but I didn't feel that it had anything to say in the end. It didn't really affect me emotionally, it was more like getting punched in the gut.

I can understand not liking the film for many reasons, but to argue it's technical merit seems a little misguided. In terms of pure, unabashed creativity, this was quite refreshing.

The title sequence alone could have done it for me.

boxofbox

01-25-2011, 06:18 PM

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was talking about when I said that Alfred Hitchcock tried it and it didn't work.

Go watch Rope from 1948.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040746/

He actually went much further than Gaspar Noe and tried to present the film as if it were one continuous shot.

It's arguably Hitchcock's worst film.

hrmmm... Rope is my favorite Hitchcock film.

but I guess we're square, because I think Labyrinth is the worst Jim Henson movie.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 06:29 PM

but I guess we're square, because I think Labyrinth is the worst Jim Henson movie.

According to IMDB, he only directed 3 movies... so, you're really saying that Labyrinth is worse than The Dark Crystal and The Great Muppet Caper. Or are you counting all the Muppet movies? In any case "Worst Jim Henson movie" is still probably a pretty good movie.

clumsy342

01-25-2011, 07:22 PM

I'm glad to see Winter's Bone was nominated for some major categories. I finally watched it the other day and thought it was fantastic!

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 07:28 PM

Rope is in my top 3 hitchcock films.

Down Rodeo

01-25-2011, 07:30 PM

i need to go see that mike leigh film.

Dude, I've been really wanting to see this movie for months. Want to try to catch it sometime soon?

bobert

01-25-2011, 07:30 PM

I'm glad to see Winter's Bone was nominated for some major categories. I finally watched it the other day and thought it was fantastic!

This ^^^. Especially happy for John Hawkes. Been a fan of his ever since Deadwood. Thought his performance was the best part of the movie and I'm glad he's getting some recognition.

malcolmjamalawesome

01-25-2011, 07:31 PM

Winter's Bone was great.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 07:36 PM

Rope is in my top 3 hitchcock films.

really? wow. rear window, north by northwest, vertigo, psycho, the birds.. just that makes it seem crazy to put rope even in the top 10. to each his own i guess.

wmgaretjax

01-25-2011, 08:01 PM

The Birds is an awful film.

TallGuyCM

01-25-2011, 08:14 PM

Rope is in my top 3 hitchcock films.

Same.

whynotsmile99

01-25-2011, 08:42 PM

Spellbound has always been my favorite, though there are many, many Hitchcock films I need to see

liquidsnake28

01-25-2011, 09:56 PM

Yeah, the Birds is terrible. I try to just forget that he made it. Some of my favorites are: Strangers on a Train, The 39 Steps, Notorious, Rebeccaa, Psycho, and Marine.

I think my favorite is probably vertigo. The first time I saw it, that part at the end where you see the girl fall, I was like "dude that looked so fake." and I was kinda disappointed... but then when I found out it WAS fake I was like omg. he fucking read my mind. but from the past.

idk i was seriously fucking blown away.

ballroomdancer22

01-25-2011, 10:37 PM

**Spoilers if you haven't seen Vertigo

I think my favorite is probably vertigo. The first time I saw it, that part at the end where you see the girl fall, I was like "dude that looked so fake." and I was kinda disappointed... but then when I found out it WAS fake I was like omg. he fucking read my mind. but from the past.

idk i was seriously fucking blown away.

CGI better suit your visual effects taste?

jaded fucks

it was made in 1958 for crying out loud.

DANCE MAGIC

01-25-2011, 10:48 PM

CGI better suit your visual effects taste?
jaded fucks
it was made in 1958 for crying out loud.

wow. no. not at all actually.

it was just really obviously a fucking dummy. have you not seen the movie? that would be my guess.

MissingPerson

01-25-2011, 11:02 PM

Kind of reminds me when I was having a conversation with somebody after I first saw ... I can't remember which film it was, might have been Yojimbo or something, definitely in that vintage.

Anyway, I mentioned, in passing, that I found it jarring how unconvincing the swordfights were, and whoever I was talking to went off on a big rant about how shallow I was for thinking that was an issue and how I shouldn't expect flashy cartoonish violence in everything and blah blah blah and so on and so on, being really patronising, and completely missing my point.

It's not that I demand spurting arteries or Kill Bill theatrics from a film, and it wasn't like I was saying "Jesus, the past was shit! MOVIES DID NOT LIVE UNTIL THE MATRIX!" What I was saying was that I found it genuinely difficult to figure out which characters were supposed to be dead or which swordfighter was supposed to be winning, without the aid of blood or at least some illusion of contact between a sharp edge and the badguy. The outdated state of the art I was looking at wasn't just quaint or distracting to my modern eyes, it actually made it difficult for me to follow the flow of the action, and that's all I was trying to say.

Really annoying fucking conversation, where somebody used a passing - and completely fucking valid, by the way - observation about their experience of the film as a springboard to show off how much better they are at cinema. But uh... that's my own stuff, this conversation just reminded me of that.

BKsaysAction!

01-25-2011, 11:45 PM

I personally love that shit. The swordsman is so quick and skilled all his hits are clean and kill his opponents almost instantly. Same deal goes with the spaghetti westerns that mimicked the technique with Clint Eastwood blasting five people in the blink of an eye It's the quick of the draw that makes it great not necessarily the blood.

MissingPerson

01-26-2011, 12:27 AM

That's not quite what I mean.

The dude kind of smacked his opponents with the sword in a melee. Gave the impression of something that might have worked in theatre once, and didn't translate to camera. Again, the blood isn't important for the sake of being blood; it would have just been a helpful indicator that character B is out of the fight. It didn't ruin my overall enjoyment, it just wasn't always immediately clear what the fuck was going on. Which isn't a very useful statement to make about film now that the state of the art has moved past that point, but it's still a reasonable observation to make about my experience of that particular movie.

Similarly, fine, I don't expect actual actors to leap to their deaths to sell me the idea of a fatal fall, but saying "Gee, that dummy was unrealistic" is not a less valid statement for that.

DANCE MAGIC

01-26-2011, 12:50 AM

My larger point, really, was that I kind of think Hitchcock made the dummy obvious on purpose, because, in the context of the film, it actually was a dummy. But at that point in the plot, the viewer doesn't know that. So later, when its revealed that it actually was a dummy, it fucking blew my mind. Hence the comment about mind reading and time travel.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-26-2011, 12:50 AM

I haven't seen Yojimbo yet, but did just watch Seven Samurai recently (as reported here) and the sword fights were fucking AMAZING.

buddy

01-26-2011, 01:06 AM

see Yojimbo Toshirô Mifune is great in it

BKsaysAction!

01-26-2011, 02:08 AM

Yojimbo is a great film. I love the fact that Kurosawa was trying to copy a John Ford western with the movie but ended up influencing more westerns on it's own.

AlecEiffel

01-26-2011, 11:41 AM

http://www.nysun.com/pics/4988.jpg

wmgaretjax

01-26-2011, 11:43 AM

Dude, I've been really wanting to see this movie for months. Want to try to catch it sometime soon?

yeah. i'm slammed through this weekend. maybe next week?

motionnn77

01-26-2011, 09:06 PM

Frenzy is my fave Hitchcock. It was quite controversial at the time and a bit pervy.

ballroomdancer22

01-26-2011, 10:58 PM

well 'Enter the Void' is on Netflix instant watch....time to blaze it for ol' times sake

TallGuyCM

01-26-2011, 11:06 PM

No shit. That's happening very, very soon...

SoulDischarge

01-27-2011, 12:25 AM

Watch it on your iPhone.

Also North By Northwest is 20 minutes of very iconic film and 2 hours of dull dull dull.

RageAgainstTheAoki

01-27-2011, 11:46 AM

Watched The Heiress last night for the first time in years. I wish the overly loud dramatic music were turned down a notch. I know it's of the era, but it really detracts from a subtly complex performance by Olivia de Havilland; what a magnificent actress she was. I skipped out on an opportunity to see her speak at the Motion Picture Academy a couple of years ago; really regret that.

I always found Montgomery Clift a bit stiff on screen, but wow was he ever built to be immortalized on celluloid. He looks stunning in this film.

amyzzz

01-27-2011, 12:08 PM

well 'Enter the Void' is on Netflix instant watch....time to blaze it for ol' times sake
Wait what? Awesome news. I will have to check it out! Thank you!

ballroomdancer22

01-27-2011, 12:37 PM

you're welcome

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-27-2011, 12:44 PM

sad i didn't get to the theater, but am very excited about enter the void on instant now

Hannahrain

01-27-2011, 12:45 PM

I'm going to watch it with my face smushed up against the screen for authenticity's sake.

ballroomdancer22

01-27-2011, 12:51 PM

I'm going to watch it with my face smushed up against the screen for authenticity's sake.

haha

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/truthisms/videodrome.jpg

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

01-27-2011, 12:51 PM

totally sitting in the FRONT ROW in my house

ballroomdancer22

01-27-2011, 12:57 PM

Role Playing Films huh?

TallGuyCM

01-27-2011, 03:00 PM

I think I'm seeing the directors cut Monday at the IFC Theater. Gaspar Noe is doing a Q & A afterwards

Whoa, you should think of a really fucked up question to ask him that makes him run out of the theatre in disgust so he knows what it feels like.

PotVsKtl

01-27-2011, 03:05 PM

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare3/samuraiI/ccsam1sub.JPG

daxton

01-27-2011, 03:07 PM

I think I'm seeing the directors cut Monday at the IFC Theater. Gaspar Noe is doing a Q & A afterwards

STFU. That's awesome. Are there IFC Centers in places other than NYC?

Down Rodeo

01-27-2011, 05:56 PM

yeah. i'm slammed through this weekend. maybe next week?

Absolutely. Just let me know when you're free.

Starraven

01-29-2011, 09:58 AM

News flash: exit through the gift shop is on hulu!

http://www.hulu.com/exit-through-the-gift-shop

KungFuJoe

01-29-2011, 10:34 AM

Newsflash: IP MAN is on Hulu. http://www.hulu.com/watch/210629/ip-man

Watch one of the best martial arts flicks to hit the scene in the past 5 years & then go see the sequel in theaters this weekend.

JustSteve

01-29-2011, 10:36 AM

News flash: exit through the gift shop is on hulu!

http://www.hulu.com/exit-through-the-gift-shop

nice, always looking for ways to kill time in the hospital...thanks for the heads up!

suprefan

01-29-2011, 01:11 PM

For my first film here at Sundance, I watched Bellflower last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It starts off a bit slow in the first 30 minutes, then it got into the thick of things and gets pretty heavy at the end. There was a q and a session afterwards with the cast and crew which was awesome. I hope they get a dsitrubution deal and it wins the audience award tomorrow. I am not going to post plot spoilers and all that since its a tiny indie film and hopefully people will get the chance to see it. Great soundtrack, lots of original stuff composed for it and some tracks by Why?, Lykkie Li and Santigold among others. Today i am seeing The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Morgan Spurlocks new doc. Also a shorts presentation which includes the Beastie boys film Fight For Your Right: Revisited.

daxton

01-29-2011, 01:24 PM

You just got to Sundance yesterday?

paulb

01-29-2011, 01:39 PM

For my first film here at Sundance, I watched Bellflower last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It starts off a bit slow in the first 30 minutes, then it got into the thick of things and gets pretty heavy at the end. There was a q and a session afterwards with the cast and crew which was awesome. I hope they get a dsitrubution deal and it wins the audience award tomorrow. I am not going to post plot spoilers and all that since its a tiny indie film and hopefully people will get the chance to see it. Great soundtrack, lots of original stuff composed for it and some tracks by Why?, Lykkie Li and Santigold among others. Today i am seeing The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Morgan Spurlocks new doc. Also a shorts presentation which includes the Beastie boys film Fight For Your Right: Revisited.

Film Fight For Your Right Revisited......and let me know how the music is...fuck the cameos.

zircona1

01-29-2011, 02:18 PM

Watched The Blair Witch Project last night. I hadn't seen it since it was in the theaters. It's still pretty creepy, especially the noises at night. I had forgotten that one of the group members disappears during the film.

liquidsnake28

01-29-2011, 04:49 PM

Considering it's one of my top 5 novels/stories of all time and I have a huge hard on for German Expressionism, it was lazy as hell of me to not see the much revered 1931 film version of Frankenstein until two nights ago. It was mostly my stupid Bela>Boris bias that prevented me from seeing it that long. Wow, it actually exceeded my huge expectations. I had already seen Bride of Frankenstein which is perfect but this was just fucking phenomenal. No mention of Paradise Lost or Dante's Inferno were necessary as it was fairly short but it still promotes intellectual thought about the morality questions regarding creation and the nature of man, so even though the monster doesn't learn to speak in this version, it doesn't take anything away from the story.
huge fan of the band My Bloody Valentine but I always hated the name. My little limited reserach just showed that Kevin Shields thought it was "some good words that sounded good together" but this awesome slasher film with the same name came out in 81, the band formed a little later around 83. I wonder if they were fans. It's not a bad slasher at all, good times.

Dogtooth is so weird and disturbing that the whole thing just screams of Amyzzz and her family.

suprefan

01-29-2011, 06:24 PM

You just got to Sundance yesterday?

I'm here arent I? And the likliehood of actually getting tickets for a screening on the first weekend was not that high. Better to come at the end. And I have been here since Thursday. Been too busy to post, you know snowboarding and stuff like that takes up the majority of your day.

Film Fight For Your Right Revisited......and let me know how the music is...fuck the cameos.

Not happening, these theaters have security cameras in em. You wanna do it and get thrown out?

The Spurlock doc was solid, the audience was into quite a bit. Lots of funny stuff. One more screening in an hour or so and that will be it..

JustSteve

01-29-2011, 07:10 PM

Been too busy to post, you know snowboarding and stuff like that takes up the majority of your day.

and fucking chicks, don't forget about all that pussy you get...

daxton

01-29-2011, 07:30 PM

I'm here arent I? And the likliehood of actually getting tickets for a screening on the first weekend was not that high. Better to come at the end. And I have been here since Thursday. Been too busy to post, you know snowboarding and stuff like that takes up the majority of your day.

So, what was your reason for going to the festival? What sort of ticket package did you get? I think if I were in Park City during Sundance I'd be hitting up all the parties and screenings I could, or sleeping off my hangover. Not doing sports. You can snowboard anywhere with snow and mountains.

TheScenestar

01-29-2011, 07:53 PM

http://laist.com/upload/2011/01/IMG_8672.jpg

suprefan

01-30-2011, 01:03 AM

Shorts Program was really good. The Tim and Eric one actually made some people walk out. Schoolofruckus has a credit in the Beastie Boys short. I have no idea if he knows that or not.

paulb

01-30-2011, 02:32 AM

Wait, what!? Is that why he posted about the song Make Some Noise being good? i thought he was just naming a wrong song or something...he worked on it!? doing what!?

TallGuyCM

01-30-2011, 02:50 AM

I think if I were in Park City during Sundance I'd be hitting up all the parties and screenings I could, or sleeping off my hangover. Not doing sports. You can snowboard anywhere with snow and mountains.

That's what I said.

sbessiso

01-30-2011, 03:11 AM

I totally eat my words. I thought The Social Network was fucking fantastic. Those 2 hours flew by.

Also saw a little bit of Tangled, it was really cute and the 3D was surprisingly not shitty but OMG the worst songs I have ever heard from a Disney movie. And so many of them too. We had to walk out.

suprefan

01-30-2011, 02:06 PM

So, what was your reason for going to the festival? What sort of ticket package did you get? I think if I were in Park City during Sundance I'd be hitting up all the parties and screenings I could, or sleeping off my hangover. Not doing sports. You can snowboard anywhere with snow and mountains.

Friends live here. They have been asking me to come for the last 5 years, and it worked out for once. Since my friends are locals, they had access to the local ticket sale which pretty much meant we were going to get into good portion of films if we chose to do so. Tickets were $15 each. And I am in SLC, so being in the thick of things was only for one evening. And no, you cant just snowboard anywhere with snow and mountains. This is fucking Utah, my favorite place to snowboard. There was no way I was coming out here and not boarding. Also, I don't see why you are bothered by my activity choices? I'm here, you aren't.

p.s. I dont drink....

daxton

01-30-2011, 02:18 PM

Friends live here. They have been asking me to come for the last 5 years, and it worked out for once. Since my friends are locals, they had access to the local ticket sale which pretty much meant we were going to get into good portion of films if we chose to do so. Tickets were $15 each. And I am in SLC, so being in the thick of things was only for one evening. And no, you cant just snowboard anywhere with snow and mountains. This is fucking Utah, my favorite place to snowboard. There was no way I was coming out here and not boarding. Also, I don't see why you are bothered by my activity choices? I'm here, you aren't.

p.s. I dont drink....

I'm not bothered. It just didn't seem to add up. Pretty sweet you have friends there. It looks beautiful...from what I've seen in my friends' photos.

p.s. I'm sorry you don't drink... but it doesn't mean you can't party.

suprefan

01-30-2011, 02:28 PM

Its my vacation, I dont feel the need to defend my choices of what I do or dont do here, try to understand that. And not drinking does not affect my desire to go to a party or anything. Look at it this way, almost any sundance party here, will be filled with the same people who came from l.a. to this thing, whats the point? I have had a great experience this weekend, I am glad I got to do it once. Next year wouldnt seem so promising due to the fact that my friends are moving once they graduate in December. I dont think I would want to come up here and just wait in line all day for movie screenings because I didnt have a ticket like a lot of people.

Paul, Gabe has a credit on there as............ (aww let him explain)

daxton

01-30-2011, 02:39 PM

There are a ton of people there that have nothing to do with L.A.

....Anyway, I'm about to watch The Red Chapel which I've been putting off, for some reason.

algunz

01-30-2011, 02:54 PM

10 minutes into Greenberg. I'm bored already. Is it worth the effort to keep going?

schoolofruckus

01-30-2011, 05:51 PM

Paul, Gabe has a credit on there as............ (aww let him explain)

Are you fucking serious? What is my screen credit?

I guess it's time I told this story here. Whether he's playing around or not, it was the coolest project I've ever worked on. I'm a Studio Operations Manager at Warner Bros., which basically means I'm a landlord/site rep/liaison for all the shows that film at the studio (or a third of them at least, as I'm one of three who have this position). Part of this entails scouting with non-WB clients (usually some combination of producer, director, location manager and production designer) who are interested in shooting at the facility and trying to get them interested in using the facility. Well, one day in early October, my boss calls and says I have to take out a music video group that wants to see the backlot. I groaned, because I fucking hate music videos; they're usually heinously disorganized and thrown together without proper prep time. I've had two separate video jobs on which I have had tech scouts that lasted literally 7 hours, because the director was mapping out every single shot and he hadn't gotten any time previously to visit the set. Anyway, I ask my boss who the band is this time. "It's the Beastie Boys - they want to do some huge crazy video where they're trashing the street and vomiting all over the place with a bunch of big name actors like Will Ferrell. They have a big-name director who's coming by with the production supervisor and the designer."

Needless to say, this changes my level of enthusiasm quite a bit, and it grows even more when they walk in the office and the "big name director" turns out to be MCA (hey, he is in the Criterion Collection...). He's one of the nicest, most laid-back dudes ever - still pretty gaunt and nursing some nasty neck scars (presumably from tumor removal), but really cool. I don't really do the starstruck thing, but let's just say it was obvious that I was on board and wanting to help them out. So I took them out to our Hennesy Street set, because it's the one that looks like New York City (Lower East Side, really). Adam (yes, I'm justified in doing this) really liked the street, and he liked it even more when I showed them the interior space that has a finished stairwell, as that's where the video opens on the morning after the "Fight For Your Right" video. At this point, they're more or less sold, and they want to book it for their four days in late November. There's just one catch - we don't book backlot dates outside of 20 days, in order to protect our TV productions (which are 90% of our business) who can't make a schedule much earlier than that. I explain this to them on the street, and they ask me to try to see if I can get an extension. This ends up going back and forth for the next week or so - the production supervisor calls me and asks for help, I check with my SVP and get a no; supervisor calls my direct boss, asks for help, we get another no; Adam's producer sets up a phone meeting with my SVP so they can try to sell him on why they need an extension, but it doesn't really go anywhere. We keep telling them that if they can bear waiting for the street, give us a call when you get to 20 days out. The problem for them is if they wait until it's that close to the shoot, and another show books those dates, then they're super fucked - 35 celebrities donating their time, but scrambling for a place to shoot. I figured there's no way they would put themselves in that position.

Then one day about a week later, I'm driving around on a golf cart supervising a shoot for "Conan" (one of my other productions), and I get a call from a 949 area code. "Hi, this is Samantha from Adam Yauch's office, I have Adam holding for you." My mouth says "Sure, I'm available" but my mind says "Who's fucking around with me?" Nope. Suddenly I'm taking a direct call from a man who has a beard like a billie goat, begging me to let them shoot on our lot. Unfortunately, I couldn't really offer any help beyond what I'd already said, but I told him that if they want to wait, I would do everything in my power to get them on. Well, they decided that Hennesy was worth waiting for, and when it came time to book, no one else took the street. I spent four days in November watching them make ruckus. Highlights include escorting Jack Black in through the gate, giving Maya Rudolph a ride on a golf cart, and driving a taxi cab with a suitcase full of coke on the front seat. And now apparently my name is onscreen for the first time ever (EDIT: outside of Walk, that is).

Hannahrain

01-30-2011, 05:53 PM

Congratulations, Gabe.

schoolofruckus

01-30-2011, 05:57 PM

Thanks. I wish I had taken a photo outside of Paul's Boutique, which was rebuilt right next to the shoe store for that new Kathy Bates show that I'm sure no one here watches.

wmgaretjax

01-30-2011, 05:58 PM

hahaha. rad.

bmack86

01-30-2011, 06:01 PM

Dude, that sounds like a great time.

schoolofruckus

01-30-2011, 06:08 PM

I'm pretty confident it will translate to the screen. It was a really fun atmosphere on set. I'm sure you guys have seen some of the names who are in it (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791504/fullcredits#cast), and it was basically just them standing around cracking jokes in between impersonating the Beasties. Seemed like most of them were thrilled just to be there (and that's basically what Maya Rudolph talked to me about).

algunz

01-30-2011, 06:15 PM

Too cool, Gabe. I am so curious as to what your screen credit is too.

Maybe . . . "Cool guy in golf cart" or just "Cool Guy." :thu

daxton

01-30-2011, 06:17 PM

I'm pretty confident it will translate to the screen. It was a really fun atmosphere on set. I'm sure you guys have seen some of the names who are in it (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791504/fullcredits#cast), and it was basically just them standing around cracking jokes in between impersonating the Beasties. Seemed like most of them were thrilled just to be there (and that's basically what Maya Rudolph talked to me about).

WOW that is quite a cast. Lucky!!

liquidsnake28

01-30-2011, 07:33 PM

Wait, so supre was wasting space at a film festival?

Go jerk off to the Radiohead at Bonnaroo DVD for the 16th time and stop wasting space for humans that are genuinely interested in art, you fucking bowling ball, old grandpa hipster hat jackoff.

So I saw True Grit tonight and I hated it even more than I thought I would.

These guys did Fargo, Raising Arizona and Big Lewbowski so kudos where it's deserved but this was just unforgivable. Fucking BOO.

On a great film note, I finally just saw 400 Blows for the first time. It's obviously a lot to digest but the first impression is wow, those french domineering parents should die. The poor little kid was just simply trying to get out alive and see the next day. Fuck French ideals of raising children. They were/are wrong. Psych 101, you horny assholes.